Hi everyone, I am really curious about this question because I'm a psych major in college and I took a few classes on mental disorders especially focusing on schizo, OCD, and mood disorders. One thing that I noticed is that a lot of the symptoms of OCD coincide with the symptoms of hypochondria. In my textbooks, hypochondria is listed as a somatoform disorder; I understand why it's considered a somatoform disorder, because we really feel our symptoms even though nothing is happening in the body, but I feel like psychologists maybe need to look into a bit more.

Obsessions: Usually with chronic or terminal diseases/sicknesses, we have lots of uncontrollable thoughts about us getting a disease/dying/suffering

Yeah, I've gone to a therapist (several, actually) and tried to work though it, but they all seem to latch on to something else...either my childhood or my eating disorder or other anxieties (ha, I sound like a train wreck!) and never have been able to just talk about health anxiety. Maybe there's not a lot of specialized training out there? I think that health anxiety or hypochondria still carries a pretty bad connotation. For those people who don't suffer from it, we all sound completely crazy and irrational. I know I used to drive my mother up the wall with my constant concerns.

So in the mean time, I've been working through my many other issues with the hope that as those subside, my health anxiety will go with it.

Funny you should say that...I know that I have OCD and panic attacks/anxiety and hypochondria - they sort of all blend together in my sad brain. I have often wondered the same thing. I guess they have to separate everything as people have different symptoms, but I totally see what you are saying. Interesting thoughts...

I agree with both of you, mental disorders tend to blend together in some way, but I feel like there needs to be a bit more research done on HA because like you said BeeDot, there's so much stigma around HA, people think we're ridiculous/selfish/crazy, and maybe there's more to HA than they think. With more research, maybe they'll come up with more effective therapies/techniques for it. Probably in the future.

I suppose the good news is that with every passing year, mental illness is receiving more support and becoming less stigmatized. I'm so grateful we don't live in a time where insane asylums are still a thing. I am also grateful to live in a country that doesn't shun people with mental illness (even if they do charge me an arm and a leg for treatment....yay america). I try to do my part by openly talking about my mental illness, my weekly therapy sessions, and being sure that friends and family feel comfortable coming to me with any concerns they have. There are SO many people with mental illness in the world...if we all start making a difference, a great change can happen: )

Firebird, you say you are a psychology major. Do you have any career aspirations yet? NOT that you have to have everything figured out right now: )

@BeeDot right now I've been thinking about getting an MBA and going into music business/marketing, or going for music law. I'm not completely sure yet though haha.

@ScaredofSymptoms I feel like I have OCD too because of the other obsessive thoughts and compulsions I get unrelated to HA. I think I'm going to ask my professors about it because many people with HA have these symptoms.

I agree hypochondriasis is like a mix of somatoform disorder and OCD. Obsessing about what ails you, compulsive about nonstop thoughts about it and nonstop googling... it's like an addiction. I think it's just people with OCD have a more heightened awareness of touch and environment; it's like the adrenaline is more amped up in them. LIke the "go" button is always ready to react. Why, I don't know but wish i did know. It must be some sort of subliminal dealing mechanism or gratification or approval behaviour or something